6 Tips to Stay Balanced During the Holiday Season

The holiday season is a wonderful time to celebrate and enjoy quality time with family and friends.  It’s a time for love, laughter, joy and gratitude. It can also be filled with temptation and feelings of guilt.  From office parties to family celebrations, these next few months are filled with events that may feel unmanageable at times. Here are some tips from Tribe Medicine on ways to remain balanced, lively, and calm during a time that can feel hectic, unhealthy, and stressful.  We believe there is a way to indulge in your favorite holiday treats without giving up your healthy lifestyle, and we hope these tips will guide you in enjoying your holidays without sabotaging your health and well-being! 

Prepare Yourself Before a Holiday Party

Do your best to arrive to a party or event feeling nourished by your own home cooked food.  It can be tempting to skip out on breakfast or lunch so that you can eat more at a party, but this can lead to imbalanced blood sugar and can cause you to overeat and consume more than you may want.  Make sure to have a well-balanced breakfast and lunch before you leave your house. Check out our Blog on Healthy Eating During the Holidays. 

Stay Hydrated: So You Don’t Mistake Thirst for Hunger

Often times throughout the day we can mistake the sensation of thirst for hunger.  This can cause us to become dehydrated and often leads to overeating. Keep a glass or stainless steel water bottle with you throughout your day, or continuously refill your glass during your holiday parties.  If you choose to enjoy an alcoholic beverage, be sure to alternate every drink with a glass of water. Aim for half your bodyweight in ounces of water per day! For example, if you are 180 lbs, make sure you are drinking 90oz of water each day.  

Give Yourself Permission to Enjoy Your Food

 Choose foods that you know will be nourishing for your body, but also be mindful about what is nourishing to your soul.  If having your grandmother’s homemade apple pie will make your heart smile and sing then you should take that time and enjoy it!  Indulging a bit in the long run is okay, especially when you’re surrounded by your loved ones and creating memories that will last a lifetime.  

Ask Your Loved Ones To Join You in Being Active

Stay consistent with your exercise routine throughout the holiday season!  Continue to go to your yoga class or workout classes. Maybe bring someone to a workout with you as a present and a gift to you both as it will allow you to spend time with each other!  Enjoy winter sports or a walk around the neighborhood before heading to your holiday party. Get creative in ways to move your body and stay grounded in your routines.  

Make Time for Self Care

The holidays can bring up a lot of stress and anxiety for people.  It can be taxing on our body, mind, & soul to be doing a lot of socializing, shopping, and cooking throughout this season.  Take time for yourself to relax and unwind. Meditate, read your favorite book, journal about what you’re grateful for, spend some quiet time with a loved one or a pet. Move your body in a way that feels good, make sure to get adequate sleep each night, and check in with yourself about how you’re feeling.  Remain consistent with what helps you create a strong foundation for your mental and emotional help. Always reach out to someone if you feel burnt out, exhausted, or lonely.

Most importantly: Pay attention to What Really Matters! 

When at holiday events focus on family, friends, laughter, gratitude, and joy.  Concentrate your energy on socializing, spending time with loved ones, and sharing with them about what you’re grateful for as opposed to the food and beverages that may be laid out.  Make the holidays about spending quality time with people you care about :) Your community, your family, your tribe is the medicine. 

Happy Holiday Season from Tribe Medicine!

Follow Dr. Cerra @the.mindful.doctor

Tribe Medicine @tribemedicine